Display package and method of forming the same



J. J. JARECKI April 18, 1967 DISPLAY PACKAGE AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME Filed Aug. 4, 1965 xn- Llu v ,f

INVENTOR S d. JARFCK/ ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,314,535 DISPLAY PACKAGE AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME James J. Jarecki, Minneapolis, Minn, assignor to Waldorf Paper Products Company, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Aug. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 477,191 4 Claims. (Cl. 20G-80) This invention relates to an improvement in display package and method of forming the same and deals particularly with a display panel to which an article is attached and with the method of attaching the article thereto.

The use of shrink film material in packaging has become extremely popular. In most instances, the film is placed to overlie an object on a display card, and heat and pressure are applied, securing the marginal edges of the film to the specially-treated paperboard, and shrinking the film about the object. Usually this requires that the film be of a size substantially greater than the outline shape of the object being attached. Furthermore, the method requires the pretreatment of the paperboard so that the lm will adhere to it.

For many years, transparent film has been inexpensively attached to cartons through the use of an apparatus commonly known as a cellophane window machine. This apparatus cuts a length of film from a roll of the material, prints a pattern of adhesive upon the carton blank, and applies the film to the adhesive. This machinery has been developed to la .point where windows may be applied to a plurality of blanks simultaneously and at a relatively high rate of speed.

It has been found that an inexpensive display package may be produced through the use of such.an apparatus. In preferred form, a display panel is provided having an aperture therethrough which is large enough to accommodate the article to be attached. Backing panels are hinged to opposite edges of the display panel and are foldable into face contact with the rear surface thereof. A strip of shrink film which is of no greater width than the aperture is secured to the rear surface of the backing panel, extending across the aperture. The inner edges of the areas of adhesive attaching the ends of the film are spaced from the fold lines connecting vthe backing panels to the display a distance at least equal to one half the thickness of the article to be attached.

With this arrangement, when the backing panels are folded back into face contact with the rear of the display panels, the above-mentioned edges of the attached areas are spaced apart a distance which is decreased by an amount equal to twice the thickness of the article. By forcing the article through the aperture from the rear of the display panel and film, the film will loosely encircle the article when the panels are secured in face contact. The package thus formed is subjected to heat, and the film is shrunk tightly about the article.

A feature of the invention in its preferred form lies in providing a pair of generally trapezoidal aps or flanges extending into the aperture and foldably connected to the display panel to extend over the opposed edges of the film strip. The purpose of these flaps is to center a rectangular article in an aperture of somewhat greater length than the article. This permits a film of somewhat greater width than the Width of the article to be used,

In a different form of the invention, the display includes a display panel and a single panel attached to an edge thereof. Once again, the strip of shrink lm is secured to overlie the aperture in the display panel and over the fold line connecting the two panels, the area of attachment of the film to the backing panel being spaced from the fold line a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the article. As a result, when the backing panels are folded into contact with the display panel, the article may be simultaneously forced through the opening to be held in place by the film.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification,

FIGURE l is a perspective view of the display package in completed form.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional Aview through the package shown in FIGURE l, the position of the section being indicated by the line 2 2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view through the package, the position of the section being indicated by the line 3 3 of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view similar to FIG- URE 2 but showing the panels in partially folded position.

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the display is formed.

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view of a modified form of blank construction.

As is indicated in FIGURE 5 of the drawings, the display blank A includes a main display panel 10 which is foldably connected along parallel Afold lines 11 and 12 to backing panels 13 and 14. In the particular form illustrated, the panel 13 is somewhat wider than the panel -14 so that the aperture 15 in the panel 13 may register with a similar aperture 16 in the display panel 10. The combined `width of the panels 13 and 14 substantially equals the width of the display panel 10 to provide a finished appearance. By forming the display in this manner, both the front and rear surfaces of the display package may be simultaneously printed.

The panel 10 is provided with a window aperture 17 therein, the aperture 17 being of slightly greater dimensions than the article or object B which is to be displayed. In the arrangement illustrated, the object B is a rectangular object such as a deck of cards. Obviously, however, the specific shape of the object may be varied.

In the arrangement illustrated, la pair of generally trapezoidal flaps 19 are hingedly connected along their longer edges to the panel 10 with their shorter edges extending into the aperture 17. These flaps or flanges 19 are to improve the appearance of the structure, and to center the object B in the aperture 17 when the laperture is somewhat longer than the object B. As a result, the film strip may be narrower in width than the aperture 17 but slightly greater in width than the object B. The dimension which has been described as the width of the object B is actually the greatest dimension of the object B.

The strip 21 of shrink film is next applied to the blank to overlie the 4aperture 17. The strip 21 is anchored to the backing panels 13 and 14 in substantially rectangular areas of attachment indicated by the numerals 22 and 23. The inner edges of the areas of attachment 22 and 23, when the blank is in the fiat unfolded form illustrated in FIGURE 5, are a distance apart which exceeds the distance between these edges when the blank is folded as shown in FIGURE 1 a distance at least equal to twice the thickness of the object B. In other words, the inner edge of the area 22 is spaced from the fold line 11 a distance D which is at least one-half the thickness of the object B, this total thickness being indicated by the letter As a result, when the panels 13 and 14 have been folded into face contact with the panel 10, the object B may be loosely enclosed by the intermediate portion of the film 21. The package may be automatically formed by equipment similar to that used for the packaging of sliced meat and the like.

In the formation of the package, the folder is usually placed over the product with the product in registry with the aperture 17. The backing panels 13 and 14 are folded downwardly and the display panel is also pressed downwardly on the object, so that the object or article to be displayed is forced upwardly through the window 17. By the time the backing panels 13 and 14 are completely folded, the article B is projecting forwardly from the display panel 1t) so that virtually all of the package with the exception of the back panel is visible. The panels 13 and 14 are adhered substantially in face contact. The package then moves past a source of heat which shrinks the film tightly about the object.

In FIGURE 6 of the drawings, a modified form of construction is illustrated. In the display folder C a similar principle is employed, but the paperboard display panel is provided with a single backing panel rather than a pair of panels. The display package C has the disadvantage that the film is pulled from one end only and therefore must slide over the surface of the object as the film is forced through the aperture. Furthermore, in some instances, the display panel must be somewhat larger, as the area of adhesive anchoring the film to the backing panel must be spaced twice as far as from the fold line connecting the panels.

The display C includes la display panel 30 which is provided with a rectangular aperture 31. Positioning flaps 32 are hingedly connected along parallel fold lines 33 along the two edges of theaperture 31 and are of trapezoidal shape. The flaps 32 are not essential to the operation, but permit the size of the aperture to be increased relative to the size of the object to be displayed.

A strip 34 of shrink lm is attached overlying the aperture 31. The ends of the film strip 34 are attached on opposite sides of the aperture 31. One area of adhesive 35 is between the window 31 and the end edge of the folder, or on the side of the folder most remote from the fold line 36 connecting the p'anel 30 to the backing panel 37. The area of adhesive 39 connecting the other end of the film strip 34 to the backing panel 37 is spaced from the fold line 36 a distance which may slightly exceed the thickness of the object or article to be displayed. As a result, when the panels are folded into the iiat position ,illustrated in FIGURE 6, the distance between the areas of attachments 35 and 39 exceeds the distance between these areas when the panels are in face contact a distance equal to at least twice the thickness of the yarticle such as B.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in display package and method of forming the same; while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that ob- -vious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What is claimed is: 1. A display comprising:

a display panel having an 'aperture therethrough of l proper size and shape to accommodate an article to be displayed,

a backing panel hingedly -connected tov an edge of said display panel and foldable substantially into face contact with the rear surface of said display panel,

a strip of shrink film of a width not substantially exceeding the width of said aperture securedoverlying said aperture and the line of fold connecting said panels,

one end of the film being secured to s'aid backing panel along an area parallel to said fold line and spaced therefrom,

the other end of said film being secured on the opposite side of said aperture from'said one end,

the distance between the nearest edges of the areas of 'adhesive when the panels are in a common plane exceeding the distance between Vthese edges when the panels are in face Vcontact by at least twice the thickness of the article,

whereby when said backing panel is folded toward said display panel, the article maybe inserted through said aperture, forcing the intermediate portion of said film strip into article enclosing position.

2. The structure of claim 1 and in which said other end of said film strip .is secured directly to said display panel.

3. The structure Vof claim 1 and including a second backing panel hinged to said display panel along a fold line parallel to the hinge line connecting said display panel to said first mentioned backing panel and foldable into overlying relation to the rear surface of said display panel.

4. The structure of claim 1 and including a pair of iiaps hinged at opposite ends of said aperture opening and foldable against the article to hold the article centered, said flaps having their ends spaced apart a distance less than the width of the article.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,140,778 7/ 1964 Kaplan 206-80 3,151,741 10/1964 Haecker. 3,154,898 11/1964 Engles 53-30 3,192,681 7/1965 Greenbaum 53-30 3,202,279 8/ 1965 Czerkies et al 206-80 FOREIGN PATENTS 686,685 5/1964 Canada.

1,347,181 11/1963 France.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

I. M. CASKIE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DISPLAY COMPRISING: A DISPLAY PANEL HAVING AN APERTURE THERETHROUGH OF PROPER SIZE AND SHAPE TO ACCOMMODATE AN ARTICLE TO BE DISPLAYED, A BACKING PANEL HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO AN EDGE OF SAID DISPLAY PANEL AND FOLDABLE SUBSTANTIALLY INTO FACE CONTACT WITH THE REAR SURFACE OF SAID DISPLAY PANEL, A STRIP OF SHRINK FILM OF A WIDTH NOT SUBSTANTIALLY EXCEEDING THE WIDTH OF SAID APERTURE SECURED OVERLYING SAID APERTURE AND THE LINE OF FOLD CONNECTING SAID PANELS, ONE END OF THE FILM BEING SECURED TO SAID BACKING PANEL ALONG AN AREA PARALLEL TO SAID FOLD LINE AND SPACED THEREFROM, THE OTHER END OF SAID FILM BEING SECURED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID APERTURE FROM SAID ONE END, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE NEAREST EDGES OF THE AREAS OF ADHESIVE WHEN THE PANELS ARE IN A COMMON PLANE EXCEEDING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THESE EDGES WHEN THE PANELS ARE IN FACE CONTACT BY AT LEAST TWICE THE THICKNESS OF THE ARTICLE, WHEREBY WHEN SAID BACKING PANEL IS FOLDED TOWARD SAID DISPLAY PANEL, THE ARTICLE MAY BE INSERTED THROUGH SAID APERTURE, FORCING THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID FILM STRIP INTO ARTICLE ENCLOSING POSITION. 